Car-switching.



No. 798,370. PATENTED AUG. 29, 1905. J. E. SWONSON.

CAR SWI'IGHING.

APPLICATION FILED JUNI: 3.1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1` PATBNTED AUG. 29, 1905.

J. E. SWONSON. GARSWITGHING.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3.1903.

muniw. sa4 annum co.. PMoIc-LlrunsRAPnERs. wAsmNcmN. u c.

. UNITED STATES PATENT FFICF.

JOHN E. swONsON, OE DEs MOINES, IOWA, AssiGNOE 'ro HENRY sa BUTLER, orDEs MOiNEs, IOWA.

CAR-SWITOHING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

latented Aug. 29, 1905.

Application filed June 3, 1903. Serial No. 159,868.

To @ZZ wtmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN E. SwoNsoN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Des Moines, in the county of Polk and State of Iowa, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Switching, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of carswitching devices in which allthe parts of the rails at the branches in the tracks are immovable andso arranged that a car approaching a branch in the track may be steeredor directed to either one of the tracks branching from the main track.

My objects are to provide means by which a car having swiveled trucksmay be operated to pass from a main track to either one of the tracks ata branch of the main track by applying pressure to the trucks themselvesto force them in the desired direction in contradistinction to devicesfor the same purpose in which guides carried by the car or truck arearranged to coact with guiderails on the road-bed to force the truckslaterally.

More specifically, it is my object to provide means of simple, durable,and inexpensive construction to be set or controlled by an operator onthe car by which a yielding ressure in a lateral direction may beapplied to the swiveled trucks of the car in such manner that one of therear wheels of the truck will have its flange forced against the innerface of the rail, thus forming a fulcrum upon which the entire front endof the truck is moved laterally when the car reaches a widened part ofthe track in front of the branch in the track, which widened part willpermit such lateral movement.

My invention consists in the construction7 arrangement7 and combinationof the various parts of the device whereby the objects contemplated areattained, as hereinafter more fully. set forth, pointed out in myclaims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1shows a side elevation of' a car provided with my improvements. F ig. 2shows the top or plan view of the trucks, the forward truck resting upona curved branch of the track and the rear truck resting upon the main orstraight track, the position of the car-body being indicated by dottedlines.

Fig. 3 shows a top or plan view of one of the car-trucks resting upon atrack, the front wheels of the truck resting upon a widened portion ofthe track immediately in front4 of a branch therein, said front wheelsbeing set in position to travel upon the curved branch of the track'.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, I have used thereference-numeral 10 to indicate the car-body. This car-body issupported upon two trucks 11, each of which is provided with four wheels12, having flanges 13, and these trucks are swiveled to the carbody inthe ordinary way, so that they may be rotated upon their swivelsrelative to the car-body. On each side of each truck is a bracket 14,projecting laterally from the truck, and on each side of the car is arod 15,

assed through said brackets and movable longitudinally therein. On therear end of each rod is a head 16, and between said head and theadjacent bracket 14 is an eXtensile coil-spring 17, mounted upon the rodand normally engaging both the head 16 and the bracket 14. Fixed to therod 15, near the bracket 14 of the other truck, is a collar 18, andbetween the collar 18 and the rear of the truck 14 is another eXtensilecoil-spring 19, mounted upon the rod and engaging both the collar 18 andthe bracket 14.

Mounted at the front 'of the car-body is an upright shaft 20, operatedby a crank 21, and fixed to the lower end of the shaft 2O are two cables22, wound upon the shaft 20 in opposite directions. Each of these cables22 passes around a direction-pulley 23 on the under side of the car-bodyand is attached to the hook 24 at the front end of the adjacent rod 15.

From the foregoing description it is obvious that when the car isadvancing over a straight track and when the shaft 20 is free to rotatethe springs 17 and 19 on one side of the car will counterbalance thecorresponding springs on the other side of the car, and hence they willhave no effect upon the trucks. When the shaft 20 is rotated, both ofthe springs 17 and 19 on one side of the car will be compressed, whilethose on the other side will be released. I-Ience a yielding pressurewill be exerted on both trucks in a direction tending to rotate saidtrucks relative to the car-body and to force the for- IOO ward ends ofthe trucks in a direction away from the side having the compressedsprings. In this connection it is to be noted that when the front truckhas been turned at an angle relative to the body of thecar, as would bethe case when the front truck had passed from the straight track to thecurved branch, as illustrated 1n Fig. 2, then the compressed springsbearing against the front truck will be extended and the lateralpressure upon the front trucks will be stopped without effecting thelateral pressure upon the rear trucks and without permitting the springon the rear truck to expand.

It is to be understood that my improved carswitching device is notintended to be used in connection with tracks having switches providedwith movable switch-points, as my device does not in any way tend tomove such switch-points, and, furthermore, in order that my device maybe sucessfully operated there must be a relatively widened portion inthe track immediately in front of each branch in the track.

The arrangement of the track-rails with whichmy improved car switchingdevice works to best advantage is the one illustrated in theaccompanying drawings. It comprises a straight rail 25, forming one ofthe rails of the track immediately in front of the branch and also oneof the rails of the straight track beyond the branch. The numeral 26indicates the other straight rail, forming, with the rail 25, thestraight track in front of the branch. This rail 26 is inclined at 27away from the rail 25, thus forming'a relatively widened portion inthe'track, and beyond the part 27 this same rail is indicated by thenumeral 28 and forms one of the rail members of the curved branch track.The numeral 29 indicates the other rail member of the curved branchtrack, which terminates in a point at 30 a slight distance from thestraight rail 25. The numeral 3l indicates the rail forming one memberof the straight track beyond the switch, the rail 25 being the othermember of this straight track. the rail 31 terminates in a point at 32substantially in line transversely with the point 30, and the inner faceof the rail 3l is arranged in line with the inner face of the rail 26,and hence the point 32 stands a slight distance away from the inner faceof the inclined part 27 of the rail 26. Obviously on a track of thiskind the front wheels of a truck may be made to travel from the maintrack to either the straight track beyond the branch or the curved trackbeyond the branch by applying pressure in a lateral direction to thetruck, tending to force the forward end of the truck toward the side towhich it is intended that the truck be directed.

In practical use and assuming that a car The end of.

controlling mechanism in the position required for applying a yieldingpressure to both trucks in a direction tending to force the forward endsthereof toward the curved branch. The wheel-flanges will of courseprevent the trucks from turning so long as `the trucks are on thestraight track. However, when the front wheels of the front truck reachthe widened portion of the track then the front truck will turn on apivot centered atthe point where the flange of the rear wheel on theside opposite from the curved branch engages the inner face of thetrackrail. It would of course require a very great amount of pressure toslide the front wheels laterally upon the widened portion of the trackif the car were stationary; but when the car is moving these frontwheels will slide laterally the short distance required when acomparatively slight amount of pressure is applied thereto. Then whenthe front wheels of the truck have moved a short distance upon lthecurved branch the rear wheels will necessarily follow. Then when therear truck reaches the widened portion of the track it will be effectedby the pressure device in the same way as the front truck. When it isdesired to direct the car toward the straight part of the branch,lateral pressure is applied in a direction tending to force the frontends of the trucks in an opposite direction, so that the fiange of thefrontwheel on the side having the continuous straight rail will beforced close against the inner face of this rail, and the flange of theopposite front wheel will be forced as far away as possible from theinner face of the opposite rail. In this connection it is to be notedthat my improvement differs materially from the means commonly employedfor steering traction-engines, automobiles, &c., having the front wheelor wheels only effected by the steering mechanism, for in order toaccomplish the desired results it is necessary that a truck having bothfront and rear wheels be used and that the pressure for steering thetruck be applied in such manner that one of the rear wheels engages thetrack in such a way as to form a fulcrum upon which the entire truck mayturn, so that both front wheels may move bodily in a lateral direction,and it is also essential that the truck or trucks be swiveled to thecarbody.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States therefor, is-

1. An improvement in car-switching, comprising a car-body, two trucksswiveled to IOO IIO

fissato ing pressure in a lateral direction simultaneously to bothtrucks.

3. An improvement 1n car-switching, comprising track-rails, a car-body,a truck swiveled to the car-body, means for applying yielding pressureto the truck tending to rotate the truck relative to the body, and frontand back wheels on the truck-shaped to coact with the rails, one of saidback wheels forming with one of the rails a fulcrum upon which the truckturns relative to the trackrails when rotated relative to the car-body.

4, The combination with track-rails, of a car, a truck swiveled to thecar having front and rear wheels, means for applying yielding pressurein a lateral direction upon the truck tending to force the front end ofthe truck laterally, said movement centered at a point where one of therear wheels engages the adjacent track-rail.

5. An improvement in car-switching, comprising track-rails, a car-body,a truck swiveled to the car body and having flanged wheels, said flangesengaging the inner faces of the rails, and means carried by the car forapplying yielding pressure in a lateral direction upon the truck tendingto rotate the truck relative to the car-body upon its swivel, and alsotending to turn the truck bodily upon a fulcrum formed by one of thewheelflanges at the point where it engages the adjacent rail. 6. Animprovement in car-switching comprising a car-body, a truck swiveled tothe car-body and having front and back wheels and means for applyingyieldin@ pressure to thetruck tending to rotate it re ative to thecar-body.

7. An improvement in car-switching comprising a car-body, a truckswiveled to the car-body having two pairs of wheels and means forapplying yieldin pressure to the truck tending to rotate it re ative tothe carbody.

S. An improvement in car-switching, comprising in combination a trackhaving a relatively widened portion and a branch track connectedtherewith adjacent to the relatively widened portion, a car-body, atruck swiveled to the car-body having front and rear wheels and meansfor'applying yielding pressure to the truck tending to rotate itrelative to the car.

9. An improvement in car-switching, comprising in combination a trackhaving a relatively widened portion, a car-body, a fourwheeled truckswiveled to the car-body and yielding pressure devices carried by thecarbody designed to force the front end of the truck laterally relativeto the car-body.

l0. An improvement in carswitching, comprising in combination a trackhaving a relatively widened portion and a branch track connectedtherewith adjacent to the widened portion, a car-body, a truck swiveledto the car-body, four flanged wheels mounted in said truck, the flangesengaging the inner faces of the track-rail and means carried by the carfor applying yielding pressure to the truck in a direction tending torotate the truck relative to the car and to move the front end of thetruck bodily upon a fulcrum formed by the iiange of one of the rearwheels and the adjacent track-rail.

11. yAn improvement in car switching, comprising a car-body, a truckswiveled to the car-body and having front and back wheels and means forapplying variable yielding pressure to the truck tending to rotate itrelative to the car-body.

412. An improvement in car switching, com rising in combination acar-body, two truc s each having front and back wheels swiveled to thecar body, arms projecting laterally from the sides of the trucks andmeans carried by the car for exerting yielding pressure simultaneouslyupon the arms on the same side of the trucks.

13. An improvement in car switching,

comprising in combination a car-body, two trucks each having front andback wheels swiveled to the car-body, arms projecting laterally from thesides of the trucks and means carried by the car for exerting variableyielding pressure simultaneously upon the arms on the same side of thetrucks. 14. An improvement in car switching, comprising a car-body7 twotrucks swiveled to the car-body each having front and back wheels, armsprojecting laterally from the sides of the trucks, a rod on each side ofthe car passed through said arms, eXtensile coilsprings mounted on therods to engage the arms and drafting devices attached to the rods.

15. An improvement in car switching, comprising a car-body, two trucksswiveled to the car-body each having front and back wheels, armsprojecting laterally from the sides of the trucks, a rod on each side ofthe car passed through said arms, eXtensile coilsprings mounted on therods to engage the arms, a shaft mounted in the car-body, two cablesfixed to said shaft and wound in opposite directions upon it andattached to said rods.

16. An improved car switching device,

IOO

IIO

car passed through said arms, eXtensile coilform ulcrurn-points uponwhich the trucks springs mounted on the rods to engage the are movedbodily by the springs, for the purarms, drafting devices attached to therods poses stated.

and a track having a relatively widened por- JOHN E. SWONSON. 5 tion anda branch track connecting there- Witnesses:

with adjacent to the widened portion coact- S. F. CHRISTY,

ing with the rear Wheels of the 'trucks to J. RALPH ORWIG.

